| |
| AH! what time wilt Thou come? when shall that cry, | |
| The Bridegroom’s coming! fill the sky; | |
| Shall it in the evening run | |
| When our words and works are done? | |
| Or will Thy all-surprising light | 5 |
| Break at midnight, | |
| When either sleep or some dark pleasure | |
| Possesseth mad man without measure? | |
| Or shall these early, fragrant hours | |
| Unlock Thy bow’rs, | 10 |
| And with their blush of light descry | |
| Thy locks crown’d with eternity? | |
| Indeed, it is the only time | |
| That with Thy glory doth best chime; | |
| All now are stirring, ev’ry field | 15 |
| Full hymns doth yield; | |
| The whole Creation shakes off night, | |
| And for Thy shadow looks the light; | |
| Stars now vanish without number, | |
| Sleepy planets set and slumber, | 20 |
| The pursy clouds disband and scatter, | |
| All expect some sudden matter; | |
| Not one beam triumphs but from far | |
| That morning-star. | |
| O at what time soever thou | 25 |
| Unknown to us the heavens wilt bow, | |
| And, with Thy angels in the van, | |
| Descend to judge poor careless man, | |
| Grant, I may not like puddle lie | |
| In a corrupt security, | 30 |
| Where if a traveller water crave, | |
| He finds it dead, and in a grave. | |
| But as this restless, vocal spring | |
| All day and night doth run, and sing, | |
| And though here born, yet is acquainted | 35 |
| Elsewhere, and flowing keeps untainted; | |
| So let me all my busy age | |
| In Thy free services engage; | |
| And though (while here) of force I must | |
| Have commerce sometimes with poor dust, | 40 |
| And in my flesh, though vile and low, | |
| As this doth in her channel flow, | |
| Yet let my course, my aim, my love, | |
| And chief acquaintance be above; | |
| So when that day and hour shall come, | 45 |
| In which Thyself will be the sun, | |
| Thou’lt find me drest and on my way, | |
| Watching the break of Thy great day. | |
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